Posts Tagged ‘how to play shuffleboard’

The game of shuffleboard has been enjoyed for over five centuries, in one form or another. Once outlawed by King Henry VIII, the game is now played by many people, royalty and commoners alike. The basic rules of the game are simple.

Before you begin playing the game, you may want to apply shuffleboard dust to the table surface to cover dry spots and allow the weights to easily slide down the table. Under tournament rules, you must keep one foot behind the board surface, and shaking or hitting the table is prohibited.

Coin flips determine at which end of the board play begins and which player shoots last (often thought to be an advantage and called the “hammer” ), the player shooting first having the choice of weight color. Once play begins, players take turns shooting until they have used all four of their weights.

To score, determine which player has a weight closest to the end of the board. That player then adds together the scores for all of their weights that are ahead of their opponent’s weights (or closest to the end of the board). A weight landing between the short foul line and the “2” line counts 1 point; a weight landing between the “2” line and the “3” line counts 2 points; a weight landing across the “3” line counts 3 points. A “hanger” – a weight that hangs over the end of the board – counts 4 points. Only one player can score in a given round.

After points are counted, play resumes on the opposite end of the table, with the player scoring points on the previous round shooting first. If no one scores points, the person shooting last in the previous round shoots first. Play continues in this fashion until a player reaches 15 points.

There are a number of variations to standard shuffleboard play. Once you have become comfortable playing the game, you may choose to play Crazy Eight or Horse Collar, to name only two alternatives. Shuffleboard is becoming a very popular addition to clubs and bars around the country, as well as a perfect addition to your game room at home. We recommend the Playcraft Telluride Shuffleboard Table.